Silent Guardian
by saltandburnit
Summary: Ever since Artemis Fowl the Second was born, Butler has been there by his side, watching him get hurt and change, succeed and break. A collection of one-shots focusing on some parts of the young genius's mind no one else had dared witness. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: Introductions

**SILENT GUARDIAN**

Summary: Ever since Artemis Fowl the Second was born Butler has been there by his side, watching him get hurt and change, succeed and break. A collection of one-shots focusing on some parts of the young genius's mind no one else had dared witness.

No pairings, no slash. Lots of angst. Hopefully.

A/N: This was supposed to be a one shot. But more and more scenes came into my mind and I had to either make a huge one shot or make it a series. I picked the second one because I probably wouldn't have finished it if it was too huge (the abandoned fanfics squealing in my computer are proof enough of that) and because it's about time I posted a story with more than one chapter. I am also hoping to make a Last Guardian fic sometime soon too.

Also, this is the first time writing in first person (at least in a fanfic) so bear with me, especially with the OOCness of this.

So enough rambling. On with the story…

* * *

_Introduction_

One of Madame Ko's most important rules is to never get attached to your principle. However, as much as I appreciate everything she taught me, this is the one rule I wasn't able to follow. My life is too connected with his for it to be possible. Artemis Fowl the Second has been the main point of my life ever since he was born. I practically raised him. I've been there when he was happy and I've been there when he was sad. When his facade broke and the great Artemis Fowl became the child he really was. What? You don't think that's possible... He's still human after all. Don't forget that.

I still remember the day of his birth...

The nervous waiting outside the door, trying not to think about how different my life would be the moment I met my new charge. A charge that was nothing more than a baby. At least that was what I had thought. As you and I both know, he wasn't just any baby, any innocent child. I realized that the moment I saw those icy blue eyes, piercing into mine like he was studying me. Thinking about it, he probably was.

As he grew older, it became clearer. How different he was, how special. And just how hard it would be to take care of him. Especially when he got involved in things that were somewhat less than moral.

Then again, considering what that kid had to see growing up, I couldn't blame him…

* * *

Ok, I promise this was only so small because it's the introduction.  
Maybe a bit lazy too. The next one where there will be an actual memory will be longer. Really!  
Also as many MANY people have mentioned before me, reviews make us write faster... ;)


	2. Chapter 2: Fowls and Frowns

A/N: WHY? Why did I ever agree to right a story with more than one chapter? I got some really awesome reviews (big thanks to everyone, you made my day!) and when I went ahead to write this… It ended up stupid as … Let's just say it ended up stupid. The original version of this was a short little scene, but because it was around 400 words and I promised a long chapter, I started building on it. Now it's 2k full of bad plot. I actually have a lot of ideas for other chapters but because I'm doing this chronologically this had to be first. Really though, feel free to skip this and wait for the next one.

Also, I apologize if Artemis is a bit OOC. Then again, we haven't seen a really young Artemis so can we truly know if he's OOC or not? (Yeah, that's my excuse this time…)

Oh! Btw, I do take requests for chapters as long as it's pre-series. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl. If I did it would suck completely, but it would definitely not end in the eight book.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Fowls and Frowns**

The years passed and the boy grew up. At around three years old he was no longer a boy. Already dressing in bespoke suits, talking in a more mature manner than most adults I know. Even so, for some people it just wasn't enough.

I remember specifically one of the few times I saw Artemis Senior on a weekday. It was not a particularly significant moment, but young Artemis' reaction to it is stuck in my brain even after all this time.

We were sitting in the large living room, his mother talking on the phone, while he had his face buried in a book larger than himself. As I studied him closer, I started to notice things. The most worrisome of all, a small yet evident frown plastered on his face, seemingly permanent. I kept watching him for a while, waiting to see whether it would eventually change or not. _Perhaps it's because of something he's reading, _I thought, or better hoped. Of course, I was wrong. The frown didn't leave the young boy's face no matter how many pages he turned or even when he looked up. It seemed like a part of him.

I couldn't understand that. He was three years old. What could possibly make a boy so young be in such a mood? Even if it was Artemis Fowl.

But this wasn't the only thing odd in his behavior that day. Although there wasn't a specific pattern, every now and then he would lift his head, look at the old wooden clock on the wall and then go back to his book, each time a little more disappointed than before. After what seemed like the hundredth time, I finally decided to confront him about it.

"Artemis? What's the matter?" I smiled gently at him.

He jumped up, surprised by my sudden question. Wide blue eyes turned to me. "What did you say, Butler?"

I frowned. "I asked what is it that's bothering you."

"Oh. Oh, it's nothing." He quickly waved it off and went back to his book.

"Artemis, you've been glancing at the clock for a while now. What are you waiting for?" I insisted. Technically, I had no right to push him, but something was clearly on the boy's mind and the frown was still screaming at me to do something to change it. Now I know, there was nothing I could do to make it disappear, no matter how much I wanted to.

"_No_thing," he repeated, his voice sounding somewhat strained.

Before I had a chance to question him further, the sound of keys on the door distracted us all. Artemis' head snapped up instantly. Was this what he had been waiting for?

Mrs. Fowl hung up the phone and went to greet her husband. "Welcome, Timmy." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. I discreetly looked away. Instead I focused on the boy on the couch, who was staring expectantly at them, chewing on the bottom of his lip. So this was what was troubling him.

However, Artemis Fowl Senior had no time for any of that.

"Angeline, I'm busy." He disentangled himself from her arms and headed upstairs before his wife stopped him.

I couldn't hear exactly what was being said and to be honest, right then I had more important things to worry about. Things like the beaten, disappointed look in Artemis the Second's face. It made sense. The constant staring at the clock.

Artemis may be a genius that keeps amazing me every day, but he is also a child who wants his father. He wants him now and he wanted him back then, even if he was right there, merely a few meters away. Physically, in any case.

I was about to comfort the kid, when a loud sigh was heard from said father. Mrs. Fowl had her lecturing expression on, while Artemis Senior looked like a man forcefully obliged to do something. It angered me to know what that something was.

"Artemis…" he called his son. Artemis looked up immediately, a look of surprise on his face. It irritated me farther. Not his expression but the reason behind it. He was truly that shocked that his father bothered to address him.

"Yes?" His voice was small like the child he wasn't.

"The weather is fairly good outside. You want to take a walk with me to the grounds and talk?"

Artemis furrowed his brows. "Really?"

"Sure." He sighed. "Let's just go now. I have lots of work to do."

"_Timmy…_" Mrs. Fowl disapproved.

"Alright." Artemis got up and stumbled on his unsteady legs. I could sense how excited he was. This was a rare moment for him. More rare than it should have been.

Mr. Fowl's ringtone echoed around the house. Young Artemis' frown intensified at the sound. Somehow we both knew where this was going… His father excused himself from the room for a moment. A tired sigh came from Mrs. Fowl. She turned to her son with a forced smile. "Don't worry, Arty. Your father will be back any second…"

I kept my mouth shut for everyone's sake. Getting myself fired would not help the boy in any way.

Artemis refused to say anything, instead kept his gaze down, whispering something incoherent. His little fist was clenching and unclenching seemingly in sync with his words.

Still unsure of whether I should interfere or not, I walked up to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. I was careful not to put any weight on it since my palm was practically larger than the kid's head. He slowly looked up. "Yes, Butler?"

"Are you alright?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" He shrugged dismissively.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded thoughtfully. "Of course. I mean…" he vaguely gestured at the door. "I mean Father's going to be here any minute and then we'll…" He trailed off as his father came back in the room.

"Timmy?" Mrs. Fowl looked at him in question. "Is something wrong?"

The man went to get his coat from the hanger. A whispered _I knew it_ was heard from the kid next to me. I squeezed his shoulder kindly.

"Something came up," Mr. Fowl muttered. "I need to go."

His wife wouldn't let him go that easily. "What? Right _now_?"

"Yes, it's very important."

I felt Artemis slip from my grip and turned to see if he was ok. put on a indifferent expression as he sat back down at the couch. I couldn't believe I was witnessing a three-year-old hide his emotions. A child shouldn't feel the need to bottle up his feeling. Then again a child shouldn't be disappointed by his father time and time again for the sake of business.

"What about _Artemis_?" She hissed at him, trying to keep her voice quiet so the boy wouldn't hear her. He most likely did, but showed no sign of it.

Artemis Senior let out a heavy sigh, before turning to his son. "Artemis, I'm sorry. Maybe some other time."

He nodded slightly. However when his father headed for the door, he finally decided to speak up. If his small whisper could be considered speaking up. "Why is this more important, Father?"

"What was that?"

"I just asked _why_ this is more important."

"It's business, Artemis," he said without even looking at him. "You'll understand when you grow up a bit."

"_I'm not a child_…" Artemis whispered angrily.

"What did you say?" Mr. Fowl asked, annoyed at his son's constant whispering.

"Nothing." The man was halfway out the door when Artemis decided to speak again. "_Wait_!"

"What _is it_, Artemis?" He all but growled, clearly annoyed.

The kid was on his feet now, eyes wide and staring at the tense figure of his father. Angeline Fowl had her hand in front of her mouth, sad eyes watching the scene in front of her.

"_Well_?"

"Timmy! Don't talk to him like that!"

"I really _need _to go, Angeline. I said I'm sorry."

I briefly wondered if he honestly believed a _sorry_ that wasn't even sincere would be enough comfort for the toddler.

A moment passed and soon Artemis Senior realized his son wasn't going to say anything worth his time. With a dry goodbye and the typical promise to talk later he left the door, closing it a bit too harshly in my opinion, if the flinch of the younger Artemis was any sign.

"Arty, sweetheart, are you ok?" His mother asked, voice full of sweetness.

A strained smile twisted his features. "Of course. But, if you don't mind, I'd like to continue reading upstairs…"

"Sure, dear…" She smiled sadly at her boy. "Do as you like…"

I helped Artemis carry the book upstairs and left when he ordered me to. It didn't take me longer than five minutes to go back, though, genuinely worried for my charge's feelings.

Pushing the door open just an inch, I sneaked a peek inside. It wasn't the most noble of things to do, but after three years I had started to care for him. Because of that, my heart clenched painfully at the sight that met my eyes.

Artemis had his face buried in the book once again, but I doubted he was actually reading. Silent sobs shook his shoulders, the sound of tears falling on paper loud and accusing. I shouldn't have left him alone.

For the first time in my life I neglected to knock on the door before entered. Well, I had already opened it anyway. He looked up at me, no sign of annoyance at my intrusion. There was slight blush on his cheeks and he instantly tried to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Butler…" He shakily laughed. "I didn't hear you knock."

I decided not to respond to that. Just in case. "Are you alright, Artemis?"

"Yes, yes. Why wouldn't I be?" He said automatically, facing away from me.

Crossing the boundaries a bit more, I took a seat next to him on the bed. "Artemis?"

"I'm _fine_. Really." The kid was trying to hide it from me. I tried to make him understand he didn't need to.

"You're too young to feel the need to hide your feelings…" I wrapped a large arm around him protectively. He snuggled closer to me.

"I don't want to be young."

My eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because if I'm older then maybe I can understand what is important for Father. Then maybe I could be good in it," he admitted. "Maybe then it wouldn't hurt…"

The last part was barely audible, clearly not meant for my ears. "Listen to me," I ordered him. We both ignored how I wasn't the one supposed to give the orders in this relationship. "You are three years old. You have plenty of time to grow up. What happened downstairs is no reason for you not to enjoy being young. Trust me, there are plenty of advantages. And on top of that there is no reason for you to hide your feelings… Why would you do that? You're _human_, Artemis. A brilliant one at that, but still human."

"Fowls are supposed to be strong," he quoted, confused by the different advices he was getting. I started to wonder if I really wasn't supposed to be doing this.

"And you will be. In _time_…"

"Father said we can't afford to let people see our weaknesses."

"He said that to _you_?" I asked, shocked.

His brow furrowed. "I think he was talking to someone else. But shouldn't it count for me, too?"

"No, Artemis." I shook my head. "At least not with me. You never need to hide anything from me. I'm here to protect you, remember?"

He nodded with a newfound energy.

"So will you trust me and confide in me from now on?"

"I will," he smiled. "Always."

And he did. Well, until his father went missing in any case.

* * *

A/N: I warned you not to read this. I'll try to make the next one better. _Really_. Anyway, please do leave a review. They're the only reward I get (even though I don't have my hopes up for this one).


	3. Chapter 3: Friendship

**A/N:** Ok, ok, I know. I have no excuse for the delay. And I didn't even get to do the Christmas fic I wanted to do… Would anyone be interested in a late one or should I just discard it for the rest of the year?

So back to the story: This is more cuteness than actual drama. For some reason though Artemis acts more like a kid here than in the previous chapter. And just how did that happen? But d'aaaw, he's cute. In my head anyway. To be honest, this chapter didn't start out that way, but because a month passed I kind of… forgot what I wanted to do with it and played it by ear.

Hope you like it!

**Disclaimer:** If I really was Eoin Colfer, I'd write another freaking book!

* * *

**Chapter 3: What is this Friendship you speak of?**

Three years later, young Artemis was about to start going to school. It was probably long overdue, considering how intelligent the kid was. I was actually surprised his parents had decided that in the first place. Especially Mr. Fowl who expected his son to be… heck, I didn't even know what exactly it was this man was expecting of the boy.

Anyway, after an argument between the two, Mrs. Fowl won and enrolled Artemis in a school. Something about socializing. To be honest, I was paying as much attention to them as I was to the boy rolling his eyes at the way they talked about him like he wasn't there. Clearly, his say in his education was unimportant if not nonexistent.

One way or another, Artemis' first day at school soon came and the only one more nervous than his parents was me. Sometimes it seemed to me that they were all trying to make my job harder. Putting Artemis all alone in a school I wasn't allowed into. What was I supposed to do all the while? Relax? Catch a movie? Bash the principal's head on the desk until he agreed to let me in the school? Needless to say, Artemis was the only six-year-old with a cell phone always on in his pocket.

The morning started out normally, the family eating breakfast together in the kitchen. Well, the family meaning Mrs. Fowl and my young charge, as Mr. Fowl had already left. Thinking about it, I wasn't sure he had come back at all. The boy was eerily quiet and discouraged all of his mother's attempts to engage in conversation. This lack of communication worried her and soon she was looking at me for help. And if I found the mother asking the bodyguard for help with her son weird, I didn't say anything.

"So, Artemis, are you ready to go?" I offered lamely. Mrs. Fowl had already tried the _are you excited? Are you nervous? We can always postpone this _questions. Clearly he was bothered by something but he wasn't going to tell us.

He looked up to me with eyes distant, his brilliant mind preoccupied with something else. "Excuse me?"

I narrowed mine. "I asked if you're ready. Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course, let's go." He shrugged and pushed himself off the chair. He was heading straight for the door, not bothering to wait for me, when his mother stopped him.

"Arty, sweetheart, hang on a second," she laughed somewhat awkwardly. "Come here."

Artemis let himself be hugged by her, his face buried in her stomach, more out of habit than actual affection. Mrs. Fowl frowned at the stiffness her son was displaying. Once more she turned to me and I mouthed that I'd try to figure it out when we'll get in the car.

Nevertheless she decided to make one last attempt at talking to him. Surely, you can guess how successful that was, can't you?

"Well, this should be fun, eh Arty? You finally get to make some friends!" Her smile was a tad too cheery, the kind that usually annoyed the boy, but to my surprise he barely seemed to notice. Another thought was running through his mind. For possibly the first time in his young life, Artemis Fowl was… confused.

"Friends?" Icy blue eyes, wide with wonder stared up at her. The look was making her uncomfortable.

"Yes, honey, friends. You know, kids your age you can have fun with," she tried to explain.

My charge shook his head slowly. "I don't understand." Mrs. Fowl's eyes widened comically at the statement.

No, no, don't laugh now. I felt sorry for the kid. He seemed so puzzled. Not to mention disappointed by the fact that he was confused in the first place. Don't look at me like that. Ok, I found a little funny. A _little._ I said a little. Don't piss me off. Yeah, you're right, he still doesn't quite grasp the deeper meaning of it. But it's not as bad as it was back then. Anyway, let's not get carried away.

Mrs. Fowl decided to give it another shot. "What don't you understand? Friendship?" I tried to suppress a laugh at the boy's nod. "Well, a friend is a… a person who… umm… cares about you, likes you, trusts you and spends time with you, but just isn't related to you… Making it any clearer, sweetheart?"

Artemis frowned, thinking through what he just heard. He bit his lip, deep in thought. The poor thing was working so hard on it. "Are the feelings mutual?"

"Of course," she smiled sweetly at him.

He spent another moment pondering on it, before he said something that will be forever carved into my memory, whether he actually meant it or not.

"Like Butler then?"

My mind froze. At the definition of a _friend_, Artemis' first thought was none other than me. True, the boy didn't know many people, that wasn't what shocked me so much. To this 6-year-old I was more than just a bodyguard, I was a _friend._ His mother didn't seem to be on my side, though.

"No, no, Arty, not like Butler."

"Why not?" Another frown. He turned to me. "Butler, you do care for me, don't you?"

I nodded, still a little speechless from the whole situation.

"And you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Well, do you like me, Butler?"

"Of course, Artemis."

With a soft nod, he turned back to his mother. "See? And we spent all of our time together. Why isn't he my friend?"

"Umm… honey, Butler's getting paid," she replied awkwardly.

"To protect me, not to trust me or even like me, Mother. Isn't that friendship?"

"Artemis-"

"Butler, are you my friend?"

Those big blue eyes stared at me, back when there was still some innocence in them even if it was less than it should have been. As I looked back at him, I found the answer plain and loud in my head, as if there shouldn't have been a question in the first place.

"For as long as you'll have me, Artemis."

* * *

Later that day, when I picked my young charge up from school, the mood surrounding friendship was… slightly different than before.

Artemis was on the backseat of the car, looking absentmindedly out of the window. Looking at him from the rearview mirror, I decided to ask about his day while we were alone, in case there were things he didn't fancy sharing with his mother. Believe it or not, this happened a lot, despite his age.

"So, did you make any friends after all, Artemis?" I asked.

"No." He shrugged.

"Why not?"

Another shrug. "The other kids didn't like me much." He paused to think about it. "Actually probably not at all."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it's still early. I'm sure they'll like you eventually. You'll find some friends."

"Oh no, that's ok. I don't mind."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why is that?"

He chuckled a bit.

"Because I didn't like a single one of them, either."

* * *

**A/N:** So, that's it. Umm… hope it wasn't too OOC. Please leave a review and tell me what you think! It's my only way of payment! And the only way you can tell me not to leave this project to rot…


	4. Chapter 4: Allergies

**A/N:** Yeah, yeah, I know. More delays. I'm a despicable person. The worst part is that none of my other stories have been updated either. On that note, please do check out my other story Verdict. Oh and speaking of, after this chapter I will mostly focus on that story since it's going to be pretty short and I should get it out of the way. Of course this won't be discontinued, but as this is a series of one-shots the actual continuing story will take priority. Sorry for those who are not really into it. :/

Wow, long author's note. One last thing:

I have no medical knowledge whatsoever, so I've taken a lot of liberties here. If this kind of thing bugs you, feel free to skip it and come back for the next one! :) (It's not proof read yet, because I'm in a bit of a hurry, so sorry for any mistakes, they'll be fixed in the morning).

**Disclaimer: **Artemis Fowl belongs to Eoin Colfer. Though if he doesn't write another book, I will. It just might not get released. Oh well.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Secrets, Books and Allergies**

The next year Mr. Fowl got into a new, thriving business that forced him to spend even more time away from home. For young Artemis, there shouldn't be much difference, however this allowed him one privilege he had always been too afraid to ask for.

The manor itself was filled with books. Back then there was a large bookcase in almost every room, when the library wasn't set up yet. It was actually because of this incident that they placed them all in a room as thoroughly maintained as what is now the library of the house. The greatest collection of books in the house though, was in Mr. Fowl's study. Needless to say, Artemis took the opportunity to go just there.

Despite the possibilities of being in there, he knew not to try anything without his father's permission, which he didn't have to begin with. Even going in there to read could get him in a lot of trouble. But if there was one thing the kid knew at his seven years was that said father never came home early.

* * *

So one day he isolated himself in the study like he always did right after lunch. Every now and then I would check on him, to make sure he was ok or that for heaven's sake he didn't break anything. That was something neither of us dared to even think about. Sometimes I wondered who would get into more trouble if anything went wrong. By the end of the day I was going to find out.

I was just outside the study when I heard coughing from the other side of the door. Cautiously, I knocked on the door and sneaked a peek inside. Icy blue eyes looked at me expectantly while the rest of the boy was busy coughing into his hand. He held up his other hand for me to wait and loudly cleared his throat.

"I apologize for that," he said eventually, his rough voice sounding slightly comical with the cute baby face he still had and hated. "Did you want anything specific or did you just come by to check?"

"Just checking…" I muttered. My charge was currently sitting on the thick carpet like he always did as to not accidentally disturb anything, yet he seemed to be squirming uncomfortably. "Are you ok?"

"Sure," he waved me off, his attention going back to the book open on his lap.

"You don't look like it."

"I don't?"

"If you're not comfortable, you can sit on the couch, you know," I offered. The more I thought about it though, the less likely it seemed this was bothering him. "Or is it something else?"

Artemis looked up at that and gave me that small smile of his I had come to recognize. No, no, it wasn't the… what did you call it? _Vampire_ smile? Oh, I see your point. But, that wasn't it. No, it was the kind of sweet smile which came only at times when he needed to calm me down. Was it honest? Well… I seriously doubt it.

"I'm fine, Butler, thank you for your concern. Perhaps I'm a little anxious. Who knows… what will happen if he comes?" By the end of the question his eyes have taken a faraway look. It bothered me every time, that look. Mostly because it usually appeared while he was pondering on things considerably less than pleasant.

"Hey," I snapped him out of it. "You don't need to worry about that. You know I will warn you immediately."

"Thank you, Butler. I appreciate it." I nodded and turned to leave with the promise of coming back later before he added. "Oh, and Butler? Could you please…" Another cough. "… please bring me a glass of water? I think my throat it a bit too dry for its own good."

With a sharp nod I left and headed for the kitchen, all the while wondering whether I should tell Mrs. Fowl to call the doctor or not. He couldn't be making himself sick, could he? Maybe he was coming down with a cold or something?

_Well, he's coughing a lot… I should make sure he's perfectly fine. Though Mr. Fowl will scold both of us if I call the doctor over for mere coughing… Oh, who cares? He probably won't even notice…_

A slight feeling of déjà vu came over me outside of the study, where once again a young boy's coughing could be heard. There was only a small but crucial difference this time.

It was way more violent.

"Artemis?" I yelled, abruptly opening the door, only to find the kid on his hands and knees, coughing painfully, his chest moving rapidly. I was on my own knees and at his side in an instant. "Artemis! What's wrong?"

A small hand grasped my jacket in a white knuckled grip that increased in intensity each time a cough wracked his body. Artemis raised his head towards me and for the first time I was at loss.

The boy was staring at me, eyes wide and wet with tears, his face paler than usual, paler than death. The coughs had been replaced with wheezes, painful sounding attempts to take enough oxygen to shake away that dreadful color. And still, despite how much he was shaking, I managed to catch him mouthing two words, a plea from a child who didn't look a day older than his seven years at the moment.

_Help._

_ Me._

"What happened to you?" My voice almost cracked with desperation. This couldn't be a cold.

Another word.

_ Asthma._

I didn't question how he knew that, even at his early years it was clear this boy was beyond clever. What I _did _question however was how in the world I hadn't realized it sooner. Maybe it was because Artemis had never showed any signs of asthma before. Maybe it was because I was getting too emotional too soon. Whatever the reason there was a chance my mistake would cost me greatly. There was no time to waste.

Ignoring how mortified by my action both the boy and his father would have been under normal circumstances, I picked him up bridal style and hurriedly carried him out of the room. The way he clung to me instead of wanting to get away only served to show me just how bad the situation was.

"Mrs. Fowl! Mrs. Fowl!" I yelled as loud as I could.

The woman was down the stairs in seconds. She knew there could be only one reason for me to be yelling like that. Once her eyes fell on her son, a hand flew to her mouth, shock clear on her features. "Oh, my… Arty? Arty, sweetheart? Butler, what on earth is going on?"

The kid let out a shaky cough, shuddering violently in my arms. Absentmindedly, I started rubbing circles on his back in a pathetic attempt to provide some sort of comfort.

"He's having some sort of asthma attack, he needs to go to the hospital." Forgetting my manners, the least I could care about right then and there, I turned my back on her and headed straight for the door.

She followed suit, a coat and a mobile phone in hand. "An _asthma _attack? But Arty doesn't have asthma!" _Cough. Cough. Wheeze_. "Sweetheart…" His mother whimpered.

"In any case, we need to go."

My words were enough to make her hurry up and close the door behind us, without a single look back, her mind only on the child in my arms.

* * *

We most likely broke every speed limit there was on our way to the hospital. By doing so however we managed to make it there before Artemis could get much worse. I hurried to the emergency room, the boy once more placed safely in my arms, Mrs. Fowl following closely behind us.

The next half hour passed in a blur.

A few nurses took Artemis away, tried to stop me when I followed and soon thought twice about it. After that both his mother and I were allowed in the room they had him in as long as we didn't bother them while they worked on him.

Now I don't remember much about that part. The only thing I could pay attention to then was the oxygen mask placed on the seven-year-old's face and the pain, the discomfort in his narrowed eyes. The feeling of helplessness that washed over me back then, I never wanted to go through it again. Fat chance with that kid, but that's another matter for another time.

Thankfully, it was soon over and a few minutes after his breathing had returned to normal, the exhausted boy was sleeping peacefully on his hospital bed.

A round of questions and tests later, we found out it wasn't even asthma. Allergic reaction they said. Dust mite allergy.

Mr. Fowl was going to be pissed.

* * *

Yes, Mr. Fowl was indeed _irritated _by the news. Having a dust mite allergy certainly meant a few renovations needed to be done in the house. Something that would cost him greatly, considering the size of the manor. But that wasn't what angered him the most. That one came with a single question:

"How did this happen? Where was he?"

In my defense, I did try to redirect the question as much as possible. Still it was Artemis Fowl we were talking about and whether it was the first or the second, you couldn't pass anything by them. Funny thing, in the end it was his mother who ratted him out, who was too shocked to realize how she had doomed her own son.

I don't know exactly what went on between the two in the hospital room. At first I tried to get in but he not so discreetly kicked me out of the _family talk_. Some family.

Mr. Fowl came out twice as mad and a few minutes later left the hospital altogether. Without hesitation I promptly took his place.

Walking in, I saw my young charge lying on the bad, one arm in front of his eyes, blocking the light. The boy looked absolutely exhausted, his usual composed pose replaced by a clear droopiness and fatigue. The empty chair next to his bed was quickly occupied by me and the next few moments were spent in a soft silence not quite awkward but not exactly comfortable either.

"Artemis? How are you feeling?"

So slowly, the boy removed his hand from his face and turned to look at me. He was made to wear a nasal canula just for precaution, yet it worried me a bit.

"Yes, I'm alright now," he whispered, blinking wearily at me. "Thank you… for helping me…"

"Of course I did, Artemis. I'm glad you're ok. I didn't see this coming."

He sighed softly, his eyes dropping closed for a moment. "Hmm… I made quite the mess, though."

"I'm sorry about that… How much trouble did you get into?"

"It could have been worse," he shrugged dismissively. "Apparently even _he_ could tell I wasn't feeling very up to it… Hey, Butler…"

"Yes?"

"Was it really that bad? What I did?"

My fists clenched at my sides at the question. "What are you talking about? Sneaking in the study?"

"Yes." The boy bit the lower of his lip.

"Artemis… Artemis, listen to me. First of all stop doing that," I ordered despite our normal positions, looking pointedly at the teeth tearing his lip. "Secondly, I'm not going to say you're smart, because you're going to look at me derisively and you'll be right to do so. No matter how you look at it though, you of all people should be able to tell when something is really wrong or not. You sneaked in the study, so what? You were always careful not to mess anything up. You didn't even look around like most people would. The only thing you did was read. Exercise that huge brain of yours," I said, smiling. "I'm not saying don't follow orders because you should, but this isn't a thing you should get worked up about. Do you understand me?"

A sharp nod from the much more awake boy showed me I had gone through to him. "Yes, you're right. Of course you're right. I don't know what got into me. Perhaps I'm still somewhat fatigued from the whole ordeal. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, sir. You just focus on getting better and we'll see to everything else better. Speaking of, we'll need to see what we can do to help with your allergy."

Artemis settled himself on the bed more comfortably and gave me the more characteristic smug grin of his. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some rest. Don't worry about the allergy measures, I'll make you a list later."

With a quiet chuckle, I rolled my eyes at his attitude. "Of course you will, Artemis. Of course you will."

* * *

A/N: Abrupt endings for the win! Yes, this chapter went absolutely nowhere. For the record, next up is Artemis Senior's departure unless anyone has a request for me.

Despite the medical disaster this chapter was and the weird lack of Artemis, I do hope you liked it! Please leave a review! It makes everyone write faster, I promise!


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